RM has a team! Please join us for the walk. Go to walk.stopmodernslavery.org to join us and help raise money for RM and the fight against modern day slavery happening here in Washington D.C. If you have any questions please call our office 202.544.1731. Thank you!
In addition, RIJI Green is having a fundraiser for the DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk. For the entire month of July, every Act Justly messenger bag you purchase, RIJI Green will donate $1 to the Walk.
These bags not only make great gifts for your friends and family, but also provide economic opportunities for survivors and people at risk of trafficking.
Check out the bags here: http://rijigreen.com/node/41
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A Way to Get Involved
The DC Task Force on Human Trafficking is creating subcommittees and they are a great way for people to get involved. They are: Outreach/Awareness/Events 2. Training and 3. Communication. Start thinking about how and where you can serve. It is a great way to meet others who are interested in the movement and be involved in short-term projects instead of the long-term commitment that direct service requires. Individuals cannot join the TF but they can participated under RM.
For more information contact info@restorationministriesdc.org
For more information contact info@restorationministriesdc.org
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Secretary Clinton Announces Release of 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report
Article taken from: http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/clinton_2010_tip_report
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the release of the 10th annual Trafficking in Persons Report on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State. Secretary Clinton said:
"This report provides in-depth assessments and recommendations for 177 countries, some of whom are making great progress toward abolishing the illicit trade in human beings. Others are still doing too little to stem the tide. But behind these statistics on the pages are the struggles of real human beings, the tears of families who may never see their children again, the despair and indignity of those suffering under the worst forms of exploitation. And through this report we bear witness to their experience and commit ourselves to abolishing this horrible crime.
"Human trafficking crosses cultures and continents. I've met survivors of trafficking and their families, along with brave men and women in both the public and the private sector who have stood up against this terrible crime. All of us have a responsibility to bring this practice to an end. Survivors must be supported and their families aided and comforted, but we cannot turn our responsibility for doing that over to nongovernmental organizations or the faith community. Traffickers must be brought to justice. And we can't just blame international organized crime and rely on law enforcement to pursue them. It is everyone's responsibility. Businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains, governments that turn a blind eye or do not devote serious resources to addressing the problem, all of us have to speak out and act forcefully.
"Now, we talk often here in the State Department about shared responsibility. Indeed, it is a core principle of our foreign policy. So we have to ensure that our policies live up to our ideals. And that is why we have for the first time included the United States. As this report documents, cases of trafficking persons are found in our own communities. In some cases, foreign workers drawn by the hope of a better life in America are trapped by abusive employers. And there are Americans, unfortunately, who are held in sexual slavery. Some find themselves trapped through debt to work against their will in conditions of modern-day bondage. And this report sends a clear message to all of our countrymen and women: human trafficking is not someone else's problem. Involuntary servitude is not something we can ignore or hope doesn't exist in our own community.
"I'm very proud of the bipartisan commitment and leadership that the United States has shown on this issue over many years. For the Obama Administration, combating this crime is a top priority. And the United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as supporting 38 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with NGOs like many represented in this room.
"It's been 10 years since the United Nations Trafficking in Persons Protocol was negotiated and the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act was enacted, and I was very proud to have worked on both of those in a prior life sometime back. And under the paradigm of the three Ps -- prevention, protection, and prosecution -- and thanks in part to the facts and focus provided by this annual report, governments, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and families are working more closely together than ever. Now we call for the fourth P -- partnership. And that is making a real difference. More countries are updating their laws and expanding enforcement, more criminals are facing prosecution, and more survivors are being helped back into a life of freedom.
"This report is a catalogue of tragedies that the world cannot continue to accept. But it is also a record that deserves praise and recognition because it exemplifies hope and action because hope without action cannot be our goal. We have to provide the hope that then leads to the action that changes the reality that we describe."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the release of the 10th annual Trafficking in Persons Report on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State. Secretary Clinton said:
"This report provides in-depth assessments and recommendations for 177 countries, some of whom are making great progress toward abolishing the illicit trade in human beings. Others are still doing too little to stem the tide. But behind these statistics on the pages are the struggles of real human beings, the tears of families who may never see their children again, the despair and indignity of those suffering under the worst forms of exploitation. And through this report we bear witness to their experience and commit ourselves to abolishing this horrible crime.
"Human trafficking crosses cultures and continents. I've met survivors of trafficking and their families, along with brave men and women in both the public and the private sector who have stood up against this terrible crime. All of us have a responsibility to bring this practice to an end. Survivors must be supported and their families aided and comforted, but we cannot turn our responsibility for doing that over to nongovernmental organizations or the faith community. Traffickers must be brought to justice. And we can't just blame international organized crime and rely on law enforcement to pursue them. It is everyone's responsibility. Businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains, governments that turn a blind eye or do not devote serious resources to addressing the problem, all of us have to speak out and act forcefully.
"Now, we talk often here in the State Department about shared responsibility. Indeed, it is a core principle of our foreign policy. So we have to ensure that our policies live up to our ideals. And that is why we have for the first time included the United States. As this report documents, cases of trafficking persons are found in our own communities. In some cases, foreign workers drawn by the hope of a better life in America are trapped by abusive employers. And there are Americans, unfortunately, who are held in sexual slavery. Some find themselves trapped through debt to work against their will in conditions of modern-day bondage. And this report sends a clear message to all of our countrymen and women: human trafficking is not someone else's problem. Involuntary servitude is not something we can ignore or hope doesn't exist in our own community.
"I'm very proud of the bipartisan commitment and leadership that the United States has shown on this issue over many years. For the Obama Administration, combating this crime is a top priority. And the United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as supporting 38 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with NGOs like many represented in this room.
"It's been 10 years since the United Nations Trafficking in Persons Protocol was negotiated and the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act was enacted, and I was very proud to have worked on both of those in a prior life sometime back. And under the paradigm of the three Ps -- prevention, protection, and prosecution -- and thanks in part to the facts and focus provided by this annual report, governments, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and families are working more closely together than ever. Now we call for the fourth P -- partnership. And that is making a real difference. More countries are updating their laws and expanding enforcement, more criminals are facing prosecution, and more survivors are being helped back into a life of freedom.
"This report is a catalogue of tragedies that the world cannot continue to accept. But it is also a record that deserves praise and recognition because it exemplifies hope and action because hope without action cannot be our goal. We have to provide the hope that then leads to the action that changes the reality that we describe."
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
“What belongs to you but is used more by others?”
It was the typical start of a Sunday program, I had searched hard for some form of ice breaker or question to engage the girls at the detention center with when they first walked in. Though hoping for a better tie-in to the theme of our discussion that day, I settled with a riddle I had seen multiple places online. The girls filed in, they took their seats, they responded to our greetings. It was the first riddle I asked, a simple mind trick that questioned “What belongs to you but is used more by others?”. The answer is, “your name”. However, it was I who was tricked by the question when without missing a beat, two girls simultaneously responded with “your body”.
‘What belongs to you but is used more by others?’ ‘Your body’.
Their response hit me like a ton of bricks, the ease and rapidity of their reply solidified the reality that these girls have experienced life in a body that is used more by others but is suppose to belong to them. It’s typical to learn that the majority of the girls we work with have encountered sexual abuse at staggeringly young ages. We give them surveys about their sexual experiences to determine if they have experienced trafficking and we frequently are returned with the x’s and checks marked next to “yes” when asked “Has anyone ever made you have sex when you didn’t want to, either through physical violence, threats, or making you feel like you couldn’t say no?”. Right beneath the question there is a space to indicate at what age they first experienced said trauma, I’ve seen girls answer as young as 2 ½.
For these young women, I think about how they never had a chance to grow comfortably into their bodies. I reflect on my own coming of age as the teenagers they are now, and the discomfort, the uncertainty, the unfamiliarity with my physical self that naturally through time was resolved. I had the privilege to grow into who I am and the body God gave me, it is part of how I find my identity in him and how I learn to reconcile the flesh with the spirit. I think again about the true answer to the riddle, ‘your name’, and how much our names, though not chosen by us, define who we are. We are identified by our names, we are identified by our bodies. But the two young girls who have identified their bodies as belonging to others, much like all the women and girls in prostitution, are trapped in a body that others have taken so much from, and left little identity to be found. I wonder in hurt of the difficulties they face in trying to find their true identity and home in Christ, and pray that they relate and understand his broken body on the cross as the core of their identity, beyond any body that any one has misused.
There’s a brief pause after they first answer my question, I absorb the weight of their response in a painful private moment, and move on.
“Every human body has been given a new hope of belonging eternally to the God who created it. Thanks to the Incarnation, you can bring your body home” -Henri Nouwen
‘What belongs to you but is used more by others?’ ‘Your body’.
Their response hit me like a ton of bricks, the ease and rapidity of their reply solidified the reality that these girls have experienced life in a body that is used more by others but is suppose to belong to them. It’s typical to learn that the majority of the girls we work with have encountered sexual abuse at staggeringly young ages. We give them surveys about their sexual experiences to determine if they have experienced trafficking and we frequently are returned with the x’s and checks marked next to “yes” when asked “Has anyone ever made you have sex when you didn’t want to, either through physical violence, threats, or making you feel like you couldn’t say no?”. Right beneath the question there is a space to indicate at what age they first experienced said trauma, I’ve seen girls answer as young as 2 ½.
For these young women, I think about how they never had a chance to grow comfortably into their bodies. I reflect on my own coming of age as the teenagers they are now, and the discomfort, the uncertainty, the unfamiliarity with my physical self that naturally through time was resolved. I had the privilege to grow into who I am and the body God gave me, it is part of how I find my identity in him and how I learn to reconcile the flesh with the spirit. I think again about the true answer to the riddle, ‘your name’, and how much our names, though not chosen by us, define who we are. We are identified by our names, we are identified by our bodies. But the two young girls who have identified their bodies as belonging to others, much like all the women and girls in prostitution, are trapped in a body that others have taken so much from, and left little identity to be found. I wonder in hurt of the difficulties they face in trying to find their true identity and home in Christ, and pray that they relate and understand his broken body on the cross as the core of their identity, beyond any body that any one has misused.
There’s a brief pause after they first answer my question, I absorb the weight of their response in a painful private moment, and move on.
“Every human body has been given a new hope of belonging eternally to the God who created it. Thanks to the Incarnation, you can bring your body home” -Henri Nouwen
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
2010 DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk
The 2010 DC SMS Walk is an event organized by the community to raise awareness and funds for the fight against human trafficking. It includes a walk, speakers, information fair, art exhibit, and music concert. This is an opportunity to get together with elected officials, artists, luminaries, businesses, professional athletes, and the community to celebrate the cause and galvanize the movement!
When: Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Where: Constitution Gardens, which is the area next to the Lincoln Memorial.
Who: All are welcome!
PRE-REGISTER: Join the many others who have pre-registered for the walk. Click Here to pre-register. Once you pre-register, we will send you a reminder when the official registration website is online.
For questions and to get involved, please contact walk@stopmodernslavery.org.
Please join us for the walk to show your support for Restoration Ministries and the fight against human trafficking. A portion of the money raised goes to RM. More updates to come!
If you have any questions e-mail Alysha Tagert at alysha.tagert@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Action Alert! DC Walk to Stop Child Sex Trafficking
Step Out to Protect Our Children
When: September 26, 2009
Time: 9 AM to 2 PM (Check-in: 8 AM to 10:30 AM
Where: Meridian Hill Park, Washington DC
Registration Deadline:
JOIN TEAM RESTORATION MINISTRIES: http://www.stopmodernslavery.org-a.googlepages.com/map2
Why: The Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) Walk is an annual event to rally support, increase awareness, and raise funds to stop child trafficking. Thousands of people will take to the streets in cities across the United States on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. Be a part of this nation-wide event and the global fight to end the sale of innocent children into slavery by participating in the DC Walk to stop child sex trafficking.
Questions?
Contact Kacy Wandel kacy@restorationministriesdc.org
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
2009 Esperanza Awards : Keynote Speaker and Honorees
Keynote Speaker: J. Robert Flores
A longtime advocate for children, J. Robert Flores has led a distinguished career in juvenile and criminal justice. In January of 2009, he completed the longest tenure of any Administrator of the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, having served since April of 2002. Previously, Mr. Flores served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Justice Department and was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City.
Mr. Flores is an experienced lawyer and former prosecutor who is an expert in Internet facilitated crime, sexual exploitation, and the trafficking of children. Mr. Flores has been a lecturer and featured speaker on Constitutional Law, technology, Interagency collaboration, and juvenile justice.
In his most recent position, Mr. Flores led a successful drive to increase and improve Federal interagency cooperation, serving as Chairman of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In this role he oversaw multi-agency efforts to address underage drinking, increasing job training efforts for youth leaving detention or aging out of foster care, and efforts to prevent youth from becoming involved in gangs.
During his tenure, and in keeping with President Bush’s efforts to increase faith-based and community organization efforts, Mr. Flores increased funding to many organizations that had never partnered with the federal government before. He also pioneered new ways to coordinate funding between government agencies, something that makes federal funds much more flexible and useful to local communities and social service organizations.
A devoted husband to his wife, Ingrid, and father to his three children, Mr. Flores has dedicated his professional life to our Nation’s children. He has prosecuted major cases at every level of government, teaches frequently on issues of law and culture, and has served as a consultant to state and federal government officials.
Currently, Mr. Flores is the President of Hampton Road Strategies, LLC., a consulting and law firm he recently founded. The firm is dedicated to working with small and effective businesses and non-profit organizations that can benefit from sophisticated strategic planning, partnership development, and improved resource management.
Jose Dearteaga is a Program Manager for the The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services who has faithfully served in the field of social service for over twenty years. An attorney and former parole officer, he has a variety of experience working in criminal justice, labor law and is currently working in DC's juvenile justice system. Jose is a true child advocate as his specialties range from assisting young girls locally who have fallen victim to sex trafficking, homelessness and abuse to advocating for victims internationally through the non- governmental organization, Landmines Blow! (www.Landminesblow.com), raising global awareness on the impact of landmine affected communities across the world. Jose is truly dedicated to the plight of those in need and has demonstrated a solid commitment to serving others through local advocacy and international activism. Jose is infinitely compassionate, selfless and is never hesitant to volunteer, lend support or advocate on behalf of anyone in need.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
2009 Esperanza Awards - 2nd Annual Banquet
Cost: $35 (Individual Ticket)
Approximately 600,000 children are believed to be at-risk for sexual exploitation in the U.S. Most prostituted women/girls have endured sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted family member or close friend and studies indicate that abused children are 28 times more likely to be arrested for sex trafficking than those who were not abused. Close to 450,000 children run away from home each year and one out of every three teens on the street will be trafficked within 48 hours of leaving home.
PARTNER in our fight to end domestic sex trafficking and become a sponsor:
RICH Sponsorship ………………………………………………$10000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Table for 8 people; automatic secured table for 8 at next year’s banquet
• Recognition at the banquet
• Listing in the Banquet program
• Mention in the next newsletter
• Signed cards from the girls at the detention center and group home
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Permanent space for the women and girls to gather on a weekly basis as well as for mothers to meet with the girls on a monthly basis
• Provide a weekly “Girls on a Journey” support group for 10 girls
• Clothing vouchers for 5 girls at $250 each
• Transportation for 10 girls to the program on a weekly basis
Respect Sponsorship …………………………………………………$5000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 8 people
• Recognition at the banquet
• Signed cards from girls at the detention center and group home
• Mention in the next newsletter
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide Christmas gifts for 10 girls
• Provide dinner for 10 girls in the “Girls on a Journey” program
• 10 weekly arts & craft projects for 10 girls
• Provide 5 job-preparedness classes for 10 girls
Information Sponsorship ……………………………………………$1000 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 6 people
• Signed cards from girls at the detention center and group home
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide spiritual materials for 100 girls at the detention center
• Provide a luau for 20 girls at the detention center and group home
• HIV/AIDS Awareness training for 20 girls
Connection Sponsorship ……………………………………………………$500 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 4 people
• Signed cards from girls at detention center and group home
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide Valentine Party for 10 girls at detention center
• Provide games and arts and craft materials for 15 girls at the detention center
Hope Sponsorship ……………………………………………………$100 and above
Benefits to Sponsoring Organization:
• Banquet tickets for 2 people
• Picture with the keynote speaker
Benefits to RM Programs:
• Provide snacks and entertainment for 4 monthly movie nights at the detention center
Community Sponsorship
This special sponsorship option can be obtained simply by advertising our event through your listserv or by providing 2 volunteers the day of the event. In return, Esperanza Awards will include an acknowledgement of your organization name as a Community Sponsor in the program guide.
Please help spread the word! We look forward to seeing you at the banquet.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
2nd Annual Benefit Concert
Restoration Ministries presents the 2nd Annual Benefit Concert. Featuring Redeemed by the Savior. Opening act by Elizabeth Hawkins and Bonnie Pritchard, along with accompanist Leann Little. Friday April 24, 7pm. Hosted by Ebenezers Coffee House, 201 F Street NE, Washington, DC.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Subculture of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution in Washington, D.C.
The Subculture of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution in Washington, D.C.
Saturday, April 19
9am-4:30 pm
Washington Community Church
9th & Maryland Ave., NE
http://www.wcfchurch.org/
Cost is $35
If you would like to have a greater understanding of what is happening right here in DC, then this is the workshop for you. Guest speakers will be from the MPD Prostitution Enforcement Unit, US Attorney’s office, Youth Investigations Branch, and the DC youth detention center. You will learn about recent local cases that have been prosecuted, understand the process of what happens to youth when they are picked up for solicitation, the John’s School (an intervention program for men who are caught soliciting), gang prostitution, internet crimes against children, and more.
Register here:
http://www.restorationministriesdc.org/dc_registration.doc
Saturday, April 19
9am-4:30 pm
Washington Community Church
9th & Maryland Ave., NE
http://www.wcfchurch.org/
Cost is $35
If you would like to have a greater understanding of what is happening right here in DC, then this is the workshop for you. Guest speakers will be from the MPD Prostitution Enforcement Unit, US Attorney’s office, Youth Investigations Branch, and the DC youth detention center. You will learn about recent local cases that have been prosecuted, understand the process of what happens to youth when they are picked up for solicitation, the John’s School (an intervention program for men who are caught soliciting), gang prostitution, internet crimes against children, and more.
Register here:
http://www.restorationministriesdc.org/dc_registration.doc
Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera
Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera
along with Doc Benjamin
preform a benefit concert
Where: Ebenezers Coffee House
201 F Street NE
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 7PM
Suggested Donation: $20
All proceeds go to Restoration Ministries
Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera perform a remarkable and entertaining repertoire that covers a wide mix of styles, including jazz, pop, blues, country, and swing, with a little rock thrown in for good measure. Brock counts as his musical influences Tommy Emmanuel, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Tuck Andress, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Martin Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Bela Fleck, and the Ebo, while Carol numbers Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Patti Austin, Steve Goodman, Wynonna Judd, and Diana Krall among her favorite vocalists.
Brock & Carol have performed in the Washington, DC, area for more than 20 years. They met while doing the Hexagon Musical Revue, for which Brock was the musical director and Carol, a featured soloist. They then sang together in the award-winning vocal ensemble Brock & the Rockets. The Rockets performed to local acclaim and loyal audiences for a decade and gave a sold-out reunion concert at their favorite venue, the Birchmere. The Rockets' self-produced album, Out to Launch, was a sell-out.
Before helping launch the Rockets, Carol appeared in a number of local community-theatre shows, including her 7-year stint with Hexagon. After leaving the Rockets, Carol helped start up a new musical venture, Love & Madness – a four-person vocal ensemble featured in a Washington Post article about the local cabaret scene – that performed in local clubs and in an annual Pops concert with the McLean Symphony. She also takes great pride in having sung the "National Anthem" for several local sports franchises.
Brock has been performing in both private and public venues since the age of 3, when he figured out that "Frere Jacques" has only six notes in it and this was the hardest song he knew. Before coming to Washington, he performed as a singer and instrumentalist in a wide variety of venues, including as soloist in the European premier of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. While in DC, he has been musical director of Hexagon for its 20th and 30th anniversary productions, musical director of Brock & the Rockets, and leader of his polyrhythmic band Rhythm Warrior. He is currently musical director of the 53rd Hexagon show, “Stars and Gripes Forever.”
Under the name of Doc Benjamin, Dr Benjamin Keyes has played music for the last 37 years in coffeehouses, small stages, and churches throughout the country. In 1973 he opened the Ashville Folk Festival in Ashville North Carolina and was the opening act for Richie Havens in 1999 in St Petersburg Florida. He has produced 2 CD’s, one secular the other Christian and has continued to be seen in acoustic venues over the past few years. Doc is a singer/ songwriter with a 60’s/70’s flair and an entertaining perspective on the topics his written about. Cover songs have been reworked to fit his genial style and his favorite has always been the protest songs.
along with Doc Benjamin
preform a benefit concert
Where: Ebenezers Coffee House
201 F Street NE
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 7PM
Suggested Donation: $20
All proceeds go to Restoration Ministries
Brock Holmes & Carol Nicotera perform a remarkable and entertaining repertoire that covers a wide mix of styles, including jazz, pop, blues, country, and swing, with a little rock thrown in for good measure. Brock counts as his musical influences Tommy Emmanuel, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Tuck Andress, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Martin Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Bela Fleck, and the Ebo, while Carol numbers Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Patti Austin, Steve Goodman, Wynonna Judd, and Diana Krall among her favorite vocalists.
Brock & Carol have performed in the Washington, DC, area for more than 20 years. They met while doing the Hexagon Musical Revue, for which Brock was the musical director and Carol, a featured soloist. They then sang together in the award-winning vocal ensemble Brock & the Rockets. The Rockets performed to local acclaim and loyal audiences for a decade and gave a sold-out reunion concert at their favorite venue, the Birchmere. The Rockets' self-produced album, Out to Launch, was a sell-out.
Before helping launch the Rockets, Carol appeared in a number of local community-theatre shows, including her 7-year stint with Hexagon. After leaving the Rockets, Carol helped start up a new musical venture, Love & Madness – a four-person vocal ensemble featured in a Washington Post article about the local cabaret scene – that performed in local clubs and in an annual Pops concert with the McLean Symphony. She also takes great pride in having sung the "National Anthem" for several local sports franchises.
Brock has been performing in both private and public venues since the age of 3, when he figured out that "Frere Jacques" has only six notes in it and this was the hardest song he knew. Before coming to Washington, he performed as a singer and instrumentalist in a wide variety of venues, including as soloist in the European premier of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. While in DC, he has been musical director of Hexagon for its 20th and 30th anniversary productions, musical director of Brock & the Rockets, and leader of his polyrhythmic band Rhythm Warrior. He is currently musical director of the 53rd Hexagon show, “Stars and Gripes Forever.”
Under the name of Doc Benjamin, Dr Benjamin Keyes has played music for the last 37 years in coffeehouses, small stages, and churches throughout the country. In 1973 he opened the Ashville Folk Festival in Ashville North Carolina and was the opening act for Richie Havens in 1999 in St Petersburg Florida. He has produced 2 CD’s, one secular the other Christian and has continued to be seen in acoustic venues over the past few years. Doc is a singer/ songwriter with a 60’s/70’s flair and an entertaining perspective on the topics his written about. Cover songs have been reworked to fit his genial style and his favorite has always been the protest songs.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Esperanza One Day Workshop
Esperanza
Esperanza or Hope in Spanish rests upon a scrap of rock. She feels that it is her only security against the drowning sea. Large waves attack, continuing to reduce her island. Armless, at the end of her ability to help herself, she looks up to God for relief. Esperanza’s useless, stunted arms stretch out into wings. A miracle frees her from her former life on the island that had become a trap. Esperanza is a statement of hope in the power of God’s arm which is not too short to save, even when ours is.
September is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the District of Columbia, and in recognition, RM will hold its first annual awards banquet on Friday, September 5, 2008. The purpose is to show recognition and honor for some unsung heroes in the U.S. and our community—-specifically direct service providers who are serving women and children who have suffered commercial sexual exploitation, as well as individuals or organizations that are pioneering efforts to end the demand for commercial sex.
Two awards will be given Ending Demand and Direct Service Providers. All nomination forms need to be received by July 15, 2008. The awards are valued at $1,000 each.
Karen Swenholt is a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia. Independently practicing her art for over twenty years, she continues to study at various studio schools including New York City’s New York Studio School, under Bruce Gagnier, Virginia’s Art League, the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Maryland Institute.The combined influences of the bright, loosely painted figurative work of Bay Area artists with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast studies and origins have formed the foundation of Swenholt’s work today. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures pleasingly contrast with their grace. She is particularly effective in depicting the human face along with gesture to convey emotion and movement.Karen Swenholt is presently the Artist in Residence at Washington Shakespeare Company. She is a member of the National Sculpture Society and the Washington Sculptor Group. She is also a board member at the Anacostia Gracious Arts Program for under-privileged children under the instruction of professional artists and musicians.Her work can be found in many public and private collections including the home of Bono (U2); The House of Scientists, an historic Romanov palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; and churches in LaJolla, California and Portland, Maine. Karen Swenholt’s sculpture is represented by Foxhall Gallery in Washington DC and the Allen Sheppard Gallery in New York City. http://www.karenswenholt.com/
Esperanza or Hope in Spanish rests upon a scrap of rock. She feels that it is her only security against the drowning sea. Large waves attack, continuing to reduce her island. Armless, at the end of her ability to help herself, she looks up to God for relief. Esperanza’s useless, stunted arms stretch out into wings. A miracle frees her from her former life on the island that had become a trap. Esperanza is a statement of hope in the power of God’s arm which is not too short to save, even when ours is.
September is Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the District of Columbia, and in recognition, RM will hold its first annual awards banquet on Friday, September 5, 2008. The purpose is to show recognition and honor for some unsung heroes in the U.S. and our community—-specifically direct service providers who are serving women and children who have suffered commercial sexual exploitation, as well as individuals or organizations that are pioneering efforts to end the demand for commercial sex.
Two awards will be given Ending Demand and Direct Service Providers. All nomination forms need to be received by July 15, 2008. The awards are valued at $1,000 each.
Ending Demand Award Nomination
Ending Demand Award Guidelines
Direct Service Providers Award Nomination
Direct Service Providers Award Guidelines
Ending Demand Award Guidelines
Direct Service Providers Award Nomination
Direct Service Providers Award Guidelines
Karen Swenholt is a figurative sculptor who lives and works in Northern Virginia. Independently practicing her art for over twenty years, she continues to study at various studio schools including New York City’s New York Studio School, under Bruce Gagnier, Virginia’s Art League, the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Maryland Institute.The combined influences of the bright, loosely painted figurative work of Bay Area artists with the emotional power of abstract expressionism from her East Coast studies and origins have formed the foundation of Swenholt’s work today. The rough painterly surfaces of her sculptures pleasingly contrast with their grace. She is particularly effective in depicting the human face along with gesture to convey emotion and movement.Karen Swenholt is presently the Artist in Residence at Washington Shakespeare Company. She is a member of the National Sculpture Society and the Washington Sculptor Group. She is also a board member at the Anacostia Gracious Arts Program for under-privileged children under the instruction of professional artists and musicians.Her work can be found in many public and private collections including the home of Bono (U2); The House of Scientists, an historic Romanov palace in St. Petersburg, Russia; and churches in LaJolla, California and Portland, Maine. Karen Swenholt’s sculpture is represented by Foxhall Gallery in Washington DC and the Allen Sheppard Gallery in New York City. http://www.karenswenholt.com/
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